UB Dental to hold largest upstate NY dental conference

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Thousands of dental professionals will soon gather in Buffalo for the 38th Buffalo Niagara Dental Meeting, the largest dental conference in upstate New York.

The meeting doubles as both an inexpensive opportunity for dentists to earn up to 15 continuing education credits toward maintaining their licensure and the reunion site of several classes of University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine alumni.

The conference, sponsored by the UB Dental Alumni Association, is scheduled from Oct. 14-16 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, 153 Franklin St. The meeting is open to all dental and health professionals.

The UB Dental Clinic will close on Thursday, Oct. 15, and Friday, Oct. 16.

“The annual meeting is one of the largest family reunions of alumni in the country, as well as an opportunity for the next dental generation to glimpse their future and the community they will be joining,” says Joseph Zambon, PhD, DDS, interim dean of the UB School of Dental Medicine.

“Over the course of my 33 years as a faculty member, I have seen the tremendous value of this meeting and the opportunities it provides.”

Each year, the meeting draws nearly 700 dentists, 100 dental vendors and exhibitors, and more than 2,500 attendees, who include hygienists, lab technicians, administrative staff and students.

Classes of UB Dental alumni are welcomed in five-year increments, as well as the upcoming graduating class of dental students. This year, the school will celebrate the alumni classes between 1940 and 2010, and the graduating class of 2016.

Alumni can attend several reunion-themed events, including a “Remember When” reception where guests can view photos and displays from their class year and yearbooks.

“The meeting is a good reuniting of friends and memories as time goes forward,” says Ray Miller, an alum of the UB Dental class of 1985. “But it’s more significant now because we have something to show them. It’s exciting to watch everybody return after multiple years and see the changes in our city that we’re all experiencing.”

The conference also will feature more than 25 renowned speakers and presenters, including dental management trainer Debra Engelhardt-Nash and prominent dental education blogger Lee Ann Brady, both named among the Top 25 Women in Dentistry by Dental Products Report.

Courses range from weighing the pros and cons of buying a practice versus starting a practice to solving the mystery of insurance, and attracting and retaining patients.

Richard Hall, PhD, DDS, MD, chair of the UB Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, will hold a class on recognizing painkiller prescription abuse and the role dentists play in reducing fatal overdoses.

Guests can also join hands-on workshops that will guide practitioners through laser treatment, setting impressions and cementation.

For more information, visit www.ubdentalalumni.org.